Read Online A Love Worth Waiting For and Heaven Knows by Jillian Hart - Free Book Online

you see that?” Misty drained all the lemon-lime punch from her glass. “He simply whisked her away. Just like on my favorite soap, when Pierce whisked Jessica away and they fell in love. Oh, this is too unbelievable.”
    â€œUnbelievable.” There was no other word for it.
    â€œIs he a good dancer?”
    â€œOh, yeah.” Julie couldn’t help sighing a little as she watched Noah spin Susan around, slow and sweet. She knew exactly what it felt like to be swept away by him.
    â€œLook at your grandfather,” Misty whispered. “He was pretty worried where you went, but I smoothed things over. Look at the way Nora is gazing into his eyes. Now, that’s true love.”
    Absolutely. Granddad held Nora tenderly, distinguished in his dark jacket and white shirt, joy transforming him. See? True love did exist. She couldn’t wish for more for her granddad. Thank you, Father, for bringing love into his life again.
    â€œSince I’m not needed here, I’ll go help clean up.” Julie climbed to her feet, stealing one more look in Noah’s direction. He had Susan laughing and the attention of every woman in the room.
    Misty pushed out of her chair. “I’ll give you a hand, too, since Susan has the billionaire all to herself.”
    â€œStay put. I happen to know you’re next.”
    â€œReally? Oh, thank you!”
    Several people stopped Julie on the way to the kitchen to ask where she’d been or to comment on the lovely party. It was beautiful. Candles flickered gentle and low. The decorations sparkled like stardust. Flowers scented the air as she pushed open the kitchen door.
    â€œThe caterers are almost done.” Her friend Karen, who owned the town coffee shop, plunged her hands into the sink. Water sloshed as she scrubbed a pot. “Thought I’d pitch in, so we wouldn’t be here cleaning up all night.”
    â€œYou’re an angel.” Julie took a dish towel from a nearby shelf and grabbed a soup kettle from the drying rack.
    She and Karen talked while they washed and dried. The music from the band kept them entertained, and so did the caterers who dropped nearly everything as they packed their van.
    Susan poked her head in after a while. “Harold and Nora are getting ready to leave.”
    Julie left the dishes and joined the crowd in a long line down the hallway. Shouts of good wishes and congratulations rang in the corridor as Nora and Granddad paraded by. Julie called out her good wishes along with everyone else.
    â€œHey, beautiful.”
    â€œNoah!” She spun around, startled to see him there, looking pallid. “Why are you still here?”
    â€œI’m ready to leave. Just wanted to see them off.”
    The party was dispersing, voices ringing out in the hallway so loud, it was hard to hear. Julie leaned closer. “This is why you were in the emergency room. I bet you weren’t feeling well all day, and you ignored it.”
    â€œI refuse to answer that. I’m pleading the Fifth.”
    For the first time, she got a really good look at Noah Ashton. He wasn’t perfect like some airbrushed magazine-cover photograph. Not flawless like a dreamed-up perfect man. He was real and strong and vulnerable all at once, and a man who kept his promises.
    That mattered to her. “You didn’t have to dance with my friends tonight.”
    â€œI wanted to. You see, there’s this very nice person who helped me tonight. I didn’t want to let her down.”
    â€œYou do that a lot, I bet. Try not to let people down.”
    â€œI try.” His gaze strayed to the doorway, where Nora was waving out the passenger window of Harold’s pickup.
    Noah was so different from the man she expected. Julie touched his sleeve. “I’ll be inside if you need anything. Like a ride home. You can’t drive if you take painkillers.”
    â€œI know.” He nodded, in control. “I’m